Being leader of a reborn political party and the subject of an anti-discrimination complaint makes for a frantic few days. No sooner had Lyle Shelton finished with the Victorian Election as leader of Family First then he was off the Brisbane to front a tribunal hearing.
So how did he go? The Family First party, reborn by ex labor MPs in SA after it had been merged into Cory Bernardi’s Conservatives had a respectable showing in Victoria. Family First came top of the minors in the lower house with 2.9 per cent.
Shelton tells The Other Cheek “We ran in all 88 lower house seats and ran two candidates in each of the eight upper house divisions” This represents a massive effort for a party registered only in October, with volunteers to staff polling places, and put up corflutes besides fielding candidates. Shelton revealed to The Other Cheek that they had 300 volunteers on election day.
Its worth comparing the FFV result with Labour DLP which has run in past elections and the Freedom Party which would have benefitted from the energy displayed in Victoria’s anti-vaxxer demos.
2.9 per cent is a good lower-house result for the fledgling party. The high water mark for religious parties in Australia is for the Christian Democrats in NSW which once scored 9 per cent of the upper house vote, bur usually scored 3 or 4 per cent.
The Victorian Upper House is still being counted. The ABC’s Antony Green predicts Greens on three seats, Animal Justice Party on one, one for the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers, three for the Legalise Cannabis party.
And on the right “the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) to win at least one seat — and he said the minor party was also likely to win a spot being contested by Ms [Fiona’ Patten.”
So Family First has to build its vote, and the presence of the DLP as another party with religious roots complicates things. FFV preferences the DLP and the FFV preferences that were directed their way would have been critical. But in a last gasp for the “preference whisperer” Glenn Druery, the DLP worked with his team of micro-parties instead of supporting FFV.
However Liberals like Moira Deeming who won in West Metro would have been someone that Family First voters would have happily backed.
Asked what issues cut through for that party he told the Other cheek “Religious freedom in the wake of the Thorburn incident. We got this into the Herald Sun –https://familyfirstparty.org.au/on-freedom-matthew-guy-walks-both-sides-of-the-street/ . Liberal and Labor’s plan to jail parents who try and prevent their kids going to a gender clinic. “
Shelton flew to Brisbane for a Monday appearance at the Queensland Civil and Adminstrative Tribunal (QCAT) for the start of a vilification hearing into his description of a Drag Queen story time. The Human Rights Law Alliance which marshalled Shelton’s legal team called it an “extensive examination and cross-examination of witnesses over three days.”
The case concerns Shelton’s comments that the drag queens were “dangerous role models for children.” The case will determine whether free speech permits this sort of comment.
“I wish I could say my almost three-year legal ordeal was now over., Shelton wrote to his supporters.”Further written submissions by lawyers for the two LGBTIQA drag queens who are suing me will be made in late February followed by responses from my lawyers in early March.
“The presiding QCAT Member will then consider his decision.”
Image: Family First volunteers Credit: Lyle Shelton